In a revealing interview with Corriere della Sera, Atalanta’s owners Antonio and Luca Percassi shared insights into the club’s philosophy, recent transfers, and future plans. The father-son duo reflected on the club’s European growth and addressed key issues surrounding player acquisitions and departures.
Antonio Percassi reminisced about his first paycheck as a player, recounting, “It was a check for 700,000 lire. To me, it seemed like an incredible amount. I took the bus from Bergamo to Clusone, in Val Seriana, where I was born. I was terrified of losing it. When I got home, my mother froze me: ‘What have you done? Did you steal it?’ She made me cry. She was scared.”
Discussing the club’s youth development approach, the Percassis emphasized the importance of education and life skills alongside football training. Luca Percassi explained, “The principles are those of Zingonia: respect and dedication to work. This applies first and foremost to the young players, even though the dynamics are increasingly complex: they are besieged by agents from a young age.”
The owners praised Charles De Ketelaere’s attitude upon joining the club, contrasting it with Teun Koopmeiners’ departure. On Koopmeiners, they stated, “Koop’s attitude was completely wrong. To think that at the start of the season we had the ambition to keep all our top players. And he even avoided the UEFA Super Cup final against Real Madrid. There was no need for him to go that far.”
Regarding manager Gian Piero Gasperini, the Percassis recounted the challenging start to his tenure and their unwavering support. “His years speak for themselves; he has broken all records,” they said, adding that despite initial difficulties, they stood by him, telling the team, “Don’t you dare think we’re sending him away. He’s here and will continue to be here. See that you listen to us, otherwise we’ll send you away.”
Looking ahead to the January transfer window, the owners hinted at potential moves: “If we make a signing, it will be in attack, as Gasperini requests. But it must be worthwhile.”
On the subject of Ademola Lookman’s future, they stated, “We will do everything to keep him. But he shouldn’t stay against his will. After all, we’ve replaced Zapata, Muriel, Gomez…”
Finally, when asked about Atalanta’s Scudetto ambitions, they remained cautiously optimistic: “I think it even brings a bit of bad luck. At most, one can say: let’s hope that…”
